March 2004Walt Disney World Bits and Bites

Feature Article

This article appeared in the
March 2, 2004, Issue #232 of ALL EARS®
(ISSN: 1533-0753)

Ever wonder what Walt Disney World was like way back when? We
rummage around in our archives for this feature, which takes you
back in history for a glimpse of Walt Disney World through the
ages.

This month we "step back" to a mere five years ago when Asia
officially opened in the Animal Kingdom. The park hadn't yet
celebrated its first birthday and a new land was born. Asia
takes you to the mythical kingdom of Anandapur (place of
delight), complete with the crumbling ruins of an ancient
village, its temples and even a maharajah's palace. Asia also
features a water raft ride, a walking animal trail and a bird
show.

The bird show, Flights of Wonder, actually opened with the park
in 1998, although it has since gone through a number of changes.
The water raft ride, Kali River Rapids, most certainly gets you
wet! I don't recall any other Disney attraction that sells
ponchos at the ride entrance! Did you know the original name for
the ride was Tiger Rapids Run? And did you realize that the
entire queue area for Kali River Rapids is really its own
attraction? If you slowly explore the queue you'll discover all
kinds of interesting things amongst the unique designs and
artifacts.

Maharajah Jungle Trek is a beautiful animal-viewing walking
trail that takes you through the ruins of India. On your
self-guided tour, you'll happen upon tigers, bats, a tapir,
birds, and much more! Be sure to spend time at the viewing
stations, watching the animals and talking to the guides.

As Disney's Animal Kingdom continues to look toward the future,
watch for a new mountain to rise up in Asia called Expedition
Everest! In 2006, the legend of Yeti will be brought to life as
only Disney Imagineers can!

Imagine for a moment, a group of adults who collectively have
visited WDW so much...well...let's just say they're seasoned
veterans. Imagine these same adults with broad smiles, calling
out to each other, "Look at this!" "Come over here!" "You gotta
see this!" Which new attraction captured their fancy? The new
"Nemo and Friends" exhibit in the Living Seas.

Outside the Living Seas pavilion, you are now greeted by a
colorful sculpture garden where you can have your photo taken
with some aquatic friends, including Marlin, Dory, and of
course, Nemo himself! After finding an agreeable Cast Member,
willing to weigh himself down with six or seven cameras, we
posed and laughed and proceeded inside... not expecting much at
all. Well, lo and behold, this new segment in the Living Seas is
worth a trip for folks of all ages. You can search for clownfish
(Nemo and Marlin), blue tangs (Dory), starfish (Peach),
seahorses (Sheldon) and stingrays (Mr. Ray). You can also check
out the Can You Find Nemo habitat, the Great Barrier Reef
display, the stingray viewing habitat, Mr. Ray's Lagoon, and my
personal favorite, the jellyfish! This new exhibit is simple and
low budget, but enchanting, all at the same time. Of course, not
all the Finding Nemo characters are here... it'd be pretty
difficult to have the great white shark, Bruce, join the gang,
even if he is a vegetarian!

Beginning March 7th, kids visiting Epcot will be able to enjoy a
new "scavenger hunt" called Goofy's Epcot Guide. Each day,
approximately 3,500 guides will be available at the Main
Entrance, International Gateway, Guest Relations, Tip Board and
Kidcot locations. Once you have completed the hunt, you can
redeem the guide at designated locations for a special prize --
an 8 x 11" character poster (one per guest/guide). Complete
instructions and information are included in Goofy's Epcot Guide
booklet.

Do you have villain fans in your family or traveling party? If
so, then you might have enjoyed WDW's recent pin pursuit game
called "Happy Villaintine's Day." Margaret Edmonds from
Massachusetts and her family of villain (and princess) fans
recently returned from WDW where they incorporated the Happy
Villaintine's Day game with various villain adventures in the
parks. They were unaware of the villain themed pin pursuit prior
to their trip.

After several days visiting the other parks, "...our family hits
Pin Central at Epcot," Margaret writes. "By this time, the kids
have decided to include Mom in pin trading. They surprise Mom
with her own lanyard complete with four identical Tinker Bell
pins... Meanwhile, Brian has found a display board that pictures
eight new Disney pins. A Cast Member explains that this is
'Happy Villaintines Day.'

"'Happy Villaintine's Day' is a brand new pin collection of
eight pins that was released on February 4. Each pin features a
different villain and is labeled 'Happy Villaintine's Day,
February 2004, Walt Disney World.' There is a catch to these
pins, though. Seven of the eight pins can be purchased, but at
seven different locations. The eighth pin is actually a
complimentary pin that can only be obtained by completing a pin
pursuit map, on which you receive a stamp from the seven
locations. I look at three children with pleading eyes: 'Can we
do it, Mom?' I nod my head and each child gets a map."

This turned out to be a fun experience for the whole family,
answering trivia questions, hunting down villains and getting a
free pin to boot! Learn more about their experience in the full
article found at: http://allears.net/btp/vill.htm

ALL EARS® Editor-in-Chief Deb Wills recently filled out a survey
based on her December 2003 stay at WDW. Several of the questions
pertained to something called Guest Express:

"Now you can begin your Walt Disney World vacation the moment you
arrive! Disney's new Guest Express is a timesaving service that
eliminates the hassles of baggage handling and transportation.
It's an exclusive benefit available only to Walt Disney World
Resort hotel guests. You'll be greeted at the airport by a
Disney representative and directed to the 'Disney Welcome
Center,' where you'll check in and quickly board a Disney-themed
motor coach for transport to your Disney resort. Then, while
you're getting settled at your resort or off enjoying the magic,
your specially tagged luggage will bypass baggage claim and be
taken directly to your resort room. And finally, at the end of
your vacation, Disney will transport you and your bags back to
the airport where you'll have Disney assistance getting your
bags checked in before proceeding to the gate."

The description concluded with, "Would you pay $30 per person
round-trip or $15 per one way for this service?" Only time will
tell if it is soon to be part of WDW's offerings!

Port Orleans French Quarter reopens March 21! Look for the
refurbished rooms to have new bedspreads with a hidden Mickey
design, fresh paint, new carpet, larger TVs and added amenities
ranging from ironing boards to hair dryers. A privacy drape now
separates the rooms' bed areas from the vanity areas, which
feature new, ornately patterned tile floors. New artwork and
decorative touches reflecting the French Quarter theme complete
the room makeover. The process also included modifications to
wheelchair-accessible rooms to enhance the resort experience for
guests with disabilities. The landscaping of the resort has also
been enhanced to build on the Southern atmosphere.

Are you staying at the French Quarter during reopening week? If
so, please contact us at:
http://allears.net/forms/feedback.htm. We're interested in firsthand reports and
photos of the rehabbed rooms!

Magic Kingdom Afternoon Parade Special -- The "Home on the
Range" pre-parade will precede the "Share a Dream Come True"
Parade from March 5 through April 16. Walt Disney Pictures'
"Home on the Range" opens in theaters on April 2, 2004.

St. Patrick's Day Party at Pleasure Island -- March 12, 13, and
17, Pleasure Island DJs will feature videos by Irish artists,
such as The Corrs, The Cranberries, and U2. Grumpy leprechauns
will stroll the island, and Irish dance instructors will perform
in front of Hub Stage, pulling guests in to learn Irish dance
moves. Watch for the way-over-the-top costume of The Shamrocker,
an Irish punk rocker, who wanders Hill Street, a bit dazed,
looking for his/her band. Anyone named Patrick receives a drink
coupon! Admission to the St. Patrick's Day Party is included
with regular Pleasure Island ticket media.

Anyone who's ever visited Walt Disney World knows that there's a
gift shop everywhere you turn, and like the rest of the World,
each has its own theme and its own personality. All shops have a
merchandise mix that will appeal to guests of all ages, but
perhaps the most "kid friendly" shop of all is Chester and
Hester's Dinosaur Treasures in Dinoland at the Animal Kingdom.
This shop is virtually "all kids," although some of the
merchandise will definitely appeal to the adult kids, too.

Set in an old, tin-roofed garage, this gift shop is anything but
plush. The floors are concrete and there are bright red "water
pipes" running up the walls and across the ceiling. The interior
paint looks like it's been there since the age of the dinosaurs,
emphasizing the fun theme of the shop.

With a name like Dinosaur Treasures, you would certainly expect
to find dinosaurs -- and you will! Small plastic dinosaurs,
medium and large "stuffed" dinosaurs (beginning at $12) and, for
the connoisseurs of dinosaurs, a dinosaur hat ($22) that doubles
as a puppet.

For those creative children, you can find alphabet beads and
lots of character beads for making necklaces and key chains.
Boys and girls alike will love the huge display of Mr. Potato
Head pieces available to "mix and match."

And what kids' shop would be complete without something from the
Goofy Candy Company? At Chester & Hester's, the specialty
"candy" takes the form of "fill it yourself" 18-inch plastic
tubes ($4) that you can fill with different flavors of sour
powdered candy.

Dinoland at the Animal Kingdom is the closest thing Disney has
to the old-fashioned "kiddie land" at your local state fair or
amusement park. There are lots of rides and activities designed
for the younger guest, but as is typical at Walt Disney World,
the adults who accompany the youngsters can also enjoy most all
the activities.

Chester and Hester's will delight kids of all ages with its
unique, interesting and downright "fun" merchandise. Don't miss
it next time you visit the Animal Kingdom!

Underh6642 writes: As a Floridian, you really don't look for
special attention when you visit Disney -- heck we get to come
all we want. We have been to the parks over eight times. But on
1/17/04, our family took a belated birthday trip for our
5-year-old, Janie. The Disney Magic surrounded her as soon as we
took the tram from the parking lot, where she got to announce
the location of the cars to everyone on the tram. "Grumpy,
Grumpy, Grumpy, 124." The Cast Member let her do this over and
over again. During the night, a couple of people pointed at her
and said, "There's that cute little girl from the tram." Thank
you, Disney! It sure was magic for a little girl!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kathie from Texas shares: We planned to spend Christmas 2002 in
WDW with our awesome friends, the Jordans. They were able to go
down a few days before us, so they offered to take our two girls
with them. We each made costumes for our kids, so we had two
Mickeys and two Minnies! We planned to come down later with all
of the "Santa" goodies and our son. On Christmas morning, we
were opening gifts as usual -- and then I opened "the gift" -- a
picture of the girls taken at the exit of the Figment ride.
While they were there, before we arrived, our girls were chosen
as "family of the day." How magical is that?! The girls were
lined up in their Mickey and Minnie costumes for their picture.
Their picture was even on display there for everyone to see. I
hadn't noticed it when I walked by it earlier in the week, maybe
due to being rushed past it by the kids... but when I was
finally shown the picture all I could do was cry! Our girls in
their costumes, that we made, on display in WDW! I thought, does
it get any better than this? IT DOES! While waiting for the
parade on Christmas Day, the husbands sat in our spot and we
took the kids to see Mickey and Minnie. Boy, were they surprised
and very happy to see four more Mickeys and Minnies coming at
them! They were so impressed with our costumes and spent quite a
while "talking" to the children! While posing for the picture,
we noticed a camera crew from a local TV station walk up. Our
kids got to be on the local TV station with Mickey and Minnie!
My 13-year-old said that it was the best Christmas present they
got that year! This was definitely a trip we will remember
forever! Thank you Wendy, Dave and Georgie for being our
extended family! We love you guys!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Suzanne writes: I have to say, after visiting the park six times
since its opening, this last time had to be the best. It was a
bittersweet time for me, as I left my baby (21-year-old
daughter) doing a college internship at Disney. Here I was, a
"Mouseketeer" from the '50s, leaving my little girl in a place
that I only dreamed would ever come true. "A dream is a wish
your heart makes" is the biggest understatement ever! Every
phone call she has made home has been an exciting experience for
both her and me. She knows what "Disney" meant to me in my
youth, because it meant the same for her. Anyone who has a
chance to participate in this program should really take
advantage of it. What a magical experience!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kate B. writes: We took our first trip to WDW this February. The
entire experience was outstanding, but we had several magical
moments that will forever stand out, and I'd like to share one
with you. We went to Disney-MGM Studios the Friday we were
there. The park was practically empty upon our early arrival.
Our 5-year-old daughter Caitlin was eager to meet Mickey, so we
went off in search of the Magical Mouse. We were directed to a
building where we were told he would be out at 10 a.m. Just as
we were walking away from the door of the building, a Cast
Member came out and asked Caitlin if she was looking for Mickey.
She barely squeaked out a yes, and Mickey popped his head out
the door, dressed in his sorcerer's costume. Caitlin squealed
and jumped up and down and so did Mickey. He ducked back in the
door and proceeded to play hide and seek with her. Then he came
out and there were hugs and pictures and an autograph. Mind you,
we were the only ones there at this time. After some serious
one-on-one time with her, Mickey took Caitlin's hand and walked
her down the street to meet other characters. We took a fabulous
picture of them hand in hand and have a wonderful reminder of
our Magical Moment.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to
confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.